keeping your mind stayed on Christ

Bluerose31

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how do you keep your mind on what is above instead of earthly things?
for me i think of love and marriage, finding friends, making progress with school and career - are these earthly things? how do we know if our mind is not stayed on Christ?
Love, marriage, finding friends and making progress with school and career are things that have to do with God too. You can pray to God for guidance with all of those things. God can be in every part of your life.
 
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Kit Sigmon

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how do you keep your mind on what is above instead of earthly things?
for me i think of love and marriage, finding friends, making progress with school and career - are these earthly things? how do we know if our mind is not stayed on Christ?

The earthy things here means what is sinful.
Is it wrong to think of love, finding friends, doing well in school and in a
career...no. God and His Word(bible) can help you with all that...so pray
about all that, trust God and read/study His Word and apply it in your life
each day.


Do note that those things can become sinful if all you do is focus on those
things so much that you put God and His Word on the shelf.
 
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Friend-of-Jesus

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how do you keep your mind on what is above instead of earthly things?
for me i think of love and marriage, finding friends, making progress with school and career - are these earthly things? how do we know if our mind is not stayed on Christ?

God is everywhere and in everything. Even in seemingly small and unimportant things.
 
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Thir7ySev3n

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Paul, in that same chapter, describes exactly what he means by earthly things and the things above:

Earthly things:

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices." (Colossians 3:5-9)

Things above:

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:12-17) Etc.

I wanted to emphasize in bold the fundamental difference between what is merely of earth and what is above, and that is Christ. Everything we are commanded to do, we are commanded to do as the Lord did, not as we perceive or define these things. Jesus is at the center of all things above, which is why Paul precedes the distinction with this statement:

"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4)

Your life is hidden in Christ, which is to say that the life you truly have inherited and are awaiting is not yet, so that to set your mind on things of the earth in a way that is removed in purpose from Christ is to store up treasures where moth and rust will destroy (Matthew 6:19-20), and where the perishable will not inherit the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50), and where the fires of God's testing will consume and bring to nothing, to your loss (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Peter 3:10-11).

So how do you apply this understanding practically? First, it must be an intentional effort to maintain consciousness of God's command and the way Jesus obeyed them. To put this in an example that corresponds to your examples in your post, seeking marriage in a way that looks to things above would be to seek a godly spouse and pursue a marriage that will enrich your life with encouragement to walk with Christ, not a marriage that will be a replacement or an obstacle to Christ. If it is something you're uncertain of (as some are), sexuality is good and pleasing to God when it is holy and honourable (Song of Songs, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5), and your motivation consisting partly of this desire, if it is, is not sinful (1 Corinthians 7:2, 9). But your direction, regardless of motivation, should always be Christ centered, and you should be grateful to Him for the gift of marriage, which God has given to those who know the truth, and which Paul clarifies is a doctrine of demons to teach otherwise (1 Timothy 4:3). This principle also applies to seeking friends, though in a non-romantic fashion, of course.

As with a job, your goal should not be to accumulate wealth excessively, nor to abstain from being charitable with whatever means you have to provide for those in need. Withholding resources from the poor when you have the means to provide is taken very seriously by Christ, and is an offense which He is intolerant to if not repented of (Matthew 25:41-46). Think again on Jesus' command not to store up treasures on earth. As the Proverbs says: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle (Proverbs 23:4-5)." And also: "One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24-35)."

In summary, in all that you do, to set your eyes on the things of earth is to be carnal and temporally minded, and to set your eyes in things above is to believe in the Son and strive to love as He loved and live as He lived (1 John 3:23, 1 John 2:5-6).
 
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Sarah G

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My mind wanders to material issues a lot. The issues are responsibilities; work, finances and family so they do require my attention. Dwelling on them is a waste of my time though.
I try to bring my worries to the cross and leave them there. When I find that my thoughts have returned unnecessarily to them I pray the Jesus prayer a few times to refocus my thoughts to the only truly important thing: loving God with all my heart, soul and mind. (Matt 22:37)

Jesus prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
 
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